Secure Me
by Lonely in Russia
Summary: A/L. Has been posted before, now on dif. account. Legolas and Aragorn have some problems, very angst.
1. Betrayal

BETRAYAL  
  
  
  
  
  
Aragorn spun Legolas round, smiling as his long blond hair flew into the air. The king of Gondor watched happily as Legolas ran up the nearest tree, an evil smile on his face. Aragorn didn't even start to wonder what Legolas planned to do up a tree that could possibly be so amusing, that is until he felt the acorn bouncing off of his head. He looked up angrily.  
  
"Legolas! What do you think you're doing?" Legolas' face appeared upside down infront of Aragorn, a childish grin playing on his lips.  
  
"I'm having fun." He replied, an air of innocence ringing in his voice.  
  
Aragorn frowned.  
  
"At your age? I find it quite disturbing." He spat humorously. Legolas pouted.  
  
"I'm 2931 but I'm still more handsome than you Aragorn." With that he jumped back up into the tree to gather more acorns. Aragorn sighed. He loved the young elf but he knew that he had already taken one and he could never have another. Legolas knew that that was what Aragorn was thinking and he intended to prove him wrong. Arwen would be heart-broken and Aragorn would love him. Legolas smiled and jumped out of the tree, landing right next to Aragorn. The king looked up in surprise and gasped as Legolas pulled him to the floor and started to tackle him. Amidst numerous friendly punches, Aragorn managed to pin the elf down, earning a rather disappointed look.  
  
"How did you beat me?" Legolas whined. Aragorn gave him a loving smile and kissed him.  
  
"Maybe because you love me? Or maybe because I'm the better fighter." Legolas looked appalled.  
  
He would never have dared to say that to Aragorn.  
  
"How dare you!" he cried, sitting up only to find that Aragorn was still pinning him to the ground.  
  
"Release me at once!" He spat, forgetting for the moment that he loved this man. Aragorn's face fell and he looked down sadly at the elf.  
  
"Don't you love me?" He asked. He thought that Legolas did. // My god, what if he really doesn't, what have I done? \\ Aragorn started to apologise to the Elven prince beneath him until he noticed a sad look on Legolas' face so he stopped.  
  
"What is the matter Legolas?" he enquired. Aragorn sat up, allowing Legolas to do the same. The prince turned to face him.  
  
"I am sorry Aragorn, I didn't mean it, I…" He fell silent as Aragorn pulled him into a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around Aragorn, both failing to notice the weeping figure that stood behind the tree. Arwen.  
  
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Aragorn smiled as he entered his bedchambers but quickly stopped as he saw Arwen pacing up and down. He stood against the doorframe until she noticed him. When she did, she turned away disgusted and sat down.  
  
"Is something the matter my love?" Aragorn asked sweetly. His queen looked up and spat.  
  
"How can you ask me that? I saw you and Lego… that elf. At first I thought it was just a game, but now…Oh Aragorn, I thought you loved me." She started weeping but Aragorn shook her gently.  
  
"Arwen, it is a game, Legolas truly believes I love him and if I tell him otherwise, it would break his heart. I cannot do that to my best friend." He pulled Arwen to him.  
  
"Legolas has grown up in a world full of magical stories about love and it clouds his mind. He loves me but he does not see that I cannot love him. Please, my love, believe me. I need you now more than ever." He pleaded with the women in his arms and she gazed at him with pearly eyes.  
  
"Would you have done the same to me?" she asked, determined to find out the truth about her husband.  
  
"I have no need for I truly love you." He kissed her and they lay down. Arwen quickly fell into a peaceful sleep but for Aragorn, peace did not come. Instead, nagging thoughts about the two elves. // Do I stay in a safe love with Arwen and be happy, or do I have this childish fling with Legolas even though I know that it will not last? \\ He sighed and looked at the elf next to him. Smiling he knew which path he would take, even if it did mean death for one of his beloved. Sleep slowly crept up on him like a tide, devouring him bit by bit, until at last, he fell into a restless oblivion.  
  
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Legolas however was not yet granted the gift of sleep, as he was called to his father's chambers as soon as he returned from his 'walk' in the wood.  
  
"Do you hear what I say to you Legolas? Your brother must never know about this conversation." His father had been telling him of his plans for the future of Mirkwood kingdom. "I want you to become the next king, not your brother. It does mean though that you must marry before I leave for the grey Havens." Legolas nodded at his father dreamily. He then registered what his father had said and snapped out of his daydream.  
  
"What?! Me, the next king, but father I…" His father silenced him with a wave of his hand and gestured for him to sit down. Legolas did as he was told and started to speak again but his father interrupted.  
  
"I have seen a change in you lately, at first I thought you were ill but then I realised it was love. Surely you trust me enough to tell me my son?" Legolas looked up.  
  
"I know not of what you speak father." He said turning away again. His father grabbed his arm and spun him round.  
  
"Legolas, please. At least tell me whether you are or not."  
  
Legolas smiled.  
  
"Yes father I am in love, although you would not approve." His father frowned.  
  
"What makes you think that? I would be happy for you whoever it was unless you are in love with an orc which I find highly unlikely." He twisted his head, trying to get a look at his son's expression but Legolas turned away.  
  
"It is not a maiden father." Thranduil gaped at his son and spluttered.  
  
"A man Legolas? How can you love a man?" Legolas smiled.  
  
"If you knew him you would understand." Thranduil nodded.  
  
"I believe I do know him and I'm sure his wife would not be very happy. Legolas, there are plenty of maiden's that love you, can you not sway your feelings toward one of them? Must you always want something which you cannot have?" The young prince pouted.  
  
"He loves me father, I cannot help but loving him back." Thranduil grew angry.  
  
"If you do not choose a maiden to wed by next week, I will choose one for you." He waved his hand at the door and Legolas got up to leave. He was halfway to the door when he turned around to face his father.  
  
"I will wed a maiden but when you go to the Havens you can no longer tell me what to do." He stormed down the corridor leaving the king fuming in his room.  
  
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The next morning, Aragorn walked into the dining hall to see the two end seats empty. Where were Thranduil and Legolas? He sat down in his usual seat, opposite Legolas' chair and awaited the entrance of the young elf. He did not have to wait long for as soon as he had sat down, the king and prince walked through the doors and headed towards the table. Legolas smiled at Aragorn. Thranduil scowled. Aragorn looked from one to the other and guessed what had happened. Boy was Legolas in for a shock. Aragorn had planned to take him for a walk after breakfast and tell the prince that they could not be in love. Arwen had made him promise not to be too harsh for she cared for Legolas as a friend and did not wish to see him upset. He decided to change his plans and speak to Thranduil first instead.  
  
After a very silent and awkward meal, Thranduil got up to leave, Aragorn stood up and began to follow him. He looked back at Legolas who looked puzzled. Aragorn gave him a fake reassuring smile and continued after the king. When Thranduil had reached a quiet spot in the forest, he turned to face Aragorn, seething with rage.  
  
"How dare you make my son…"  
  
"Your highness please listen to me. I do not love Legolas. I wish he did not love me and I will tell him so, but please, just believe, I did not plan this." Thranduil seemed to ponder Aragorn's words for a while and then he spoke.  
  
"I understand. Please, does my son really love you or does he just think it?" Aragorn frowned.  
  
"I am afraid he really does love me, I have tried to persuade him otherwise but to no avail. I will tell him today…"  
  
"Then go, quickly," Thranduil urged, "Before he does anything stupid." Aragorn nodded and ran towards Legolas' room where he knew that the elf would be waiting.  
  
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Legolas looked up as the door opened and smiled when he saw whom it was.  
  
"Aragorn…" he said standing up and walking over to the man. Aragorn shook his head and pushed Legolas back onto the bed.  
  
"There is something I must tell you." Legolas shook his head and stood up.  
  
"No."  
  
"No?" Aragorn questioned.  
  
"What has my father said to you? Please do not listen to him he will tell you only to…" Aragorn put a finger to his lips.  
  
"This had nothing to do with your father Prince Legolas." Legolas shuddered at the way Aragorn said 'prince'. It reminded him of his brother when Legolas had stepped out of line during battle once. His brother had said, 'You may be a good fighter, but at the end of the day you are only a Prince under my command and you will do what I say.' Legolas frowned and waited for Aragorn to continue.  
  
"You are a Prince and I am a king. I am married Legolas and you soon will be. We cannot love each other. I mean, you cannot love me. Legolas looked confused so Aragorn decided to make it even worse.  
  
"I have never loved you Legolas, I merely played along with your childish game hoping you would tire from it. Obviously I was wrong." Legolas started to cry.  
  
"How can you say that. You were the first one to even mention love Aragorn!" the King of Gondor nodded and turned away.  
  
"I must go and see Arwen, I love her Legolas, not you, do you understand me?" Legolas said nothing but nodded as through his tears he glared at Aragorn, wishing with every part of his existence that the King would just drop dead there on the floor. How dare he mess around with him? He had never known Aragorn to say anything nasty to anyone. He wondered why he was the first.  
  
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Aragorn, Arwen and Thranduil waited nervously for Legolas to enter the breakfast room, but he did not come anywhere near it so instead they went out to look for him and found him skimming rocks across the surface of the still lake. They could see from his reflection that he was smiling and Aragorn became worried, no angry. // I've just broken his heart, doesn't he care? \\ He stepped on a twig and it snapped causing Legolas to spin round. He glanced quickly across the trio, smiled and turned back towards the lake, gathering up some more stones. He was just about to throw one when his father grabbed his arm and pulled him round to look at them. His gaze met with Arwen's and she quickly shifted her eyes downwards, avoiding his piercing stare as much as possible. Aragorn cleared his throat and spoke,  
  
"Legolas we have come to talk to you." Legolas chuckled.  
  
"What if I don't want to talk?" His father raised his voice,  
  
"You don't have a choice in the matter Legolas now sit down!" Legolas looked quickly from Aragorn to his father and sank to the ground.  
  
"That's better." said his father, lowering himself next to his son. Arwen and Aragorn followed suit and soon they were sat in a circle, each avoiding Legolas' stare as much as they could. Legolas seemed to get upset about this and Aragorn realised that he wasn't faking being happy, he really had been. Something was wrong although, Legolas seemed as warm and friendly as he usually did.  
  
"Is somebody going to speak then?" the prince asked quietly. Arwen nodded.  
  
"Legolas, we have come to offer you a, um…a more…oh I can't say it.!" Aragorn hugged her and ignored the smile he received from Legolas.  
  
"We are giving you the opportunity to stay in Rivendell with Elrond. You would not become king of Mirkwood but you would be happy there." He said this almost ruthlessly and waited for the quiet reaction. It was all but quiet.  
  
"But I'm happy here! Father! I don't want to go to Rivendell! I want to stay here." He looked at his father with such innocent eyes that Thranduil could not keep contact.  
  
"My son, why would you want to stay here after what has happened, your brothers will not allow you to be king unless you are married." Legolas almost choked with rage.  
  
"Are you banishing me from my own kingdom? 'Cause if you are then, fine!" he stood up and started to back away. "I'll go, I'll pack and be gone by morning." He turned around and started to run but Aragorn grabbed hold of him and threw him to the ground.  
  
"Don't be so foolish Legolas! Noone is banishing you from anywhere." He helped Legolas up and pulled him out of hearing range of the other two elves.  
  
"I am sorry I was so mean to you but your father was listening and I had to be as ruthless as I could. I did love you and I still do but we can never let anyone else know." He smiled faintly at the elf. Legolas gazed at him for a few moments before smiling back. He hugged his best friend and saw Arwen and his father smile happily as they saw him happy again. They walked back to the elves and he smiled at his father.  
  
"I will go." He said quietly. Thranduil smiled and hugged his son, laughing as tears starting to fall down his cheeks. Arwen patted him on the back and they slowly returned to the palace.  
  
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That night, Aragorn woke from sleep, sweat pouring down his face. He climbed quickly out of bed and jumped as Arwen touched his shoulder and asked him where he was going. He didn't answer her at first but then he turned and replied,  
  
"Something is wrong…Legolas!" Arwen quickly scrambled out as well and hand in hand they ran down the corridor towards Legolas' room. As they opened the door, Aragorn's heart stopped as he saw the sight lying on the bed. Legolas lay there, still, his blond hair drenched with blood, a sword protruding from his chest. Arwen sank to the floor crying and Aragorn walked up to Thranduil who lay at the foot of the bed clutching his son's hand, sobbing. Aragorn picked up the paper in Legolas' bloody hand and read it.  
  
  
  
Dear Father,  
  
I know you were just trying to do the right thing but I imagined that death couldn't be more painful than what you put me through. Please tell Aragorn that I love him, and Arwen too. Tell Lartei and Terai that I will miss them. I will also miss you but please don't think that you could have helped me. If I hadn't have done this then I would slowly have died anyway. Farewell,  
  
Legolas xxx  
  
  
  
The king looked down once again at the weeping ruler of Mirkwood before picking up the sword that lay in his friend's chest. He looked at the blood on it and turned to Arwen.  
  
"This blood is what I have shed. My blood will mix with his and the tears of Middle Earth shall run red." He thrust the sword inside him. Gasping for breath as he sank to the floor, barely aware of the screaming going on around him. He could just about make out Arwen's face as he saw Legolas walking towards him, hand stretched out.  
  
Come with me, he whispered. Both Gondor and Mirkwood shall lose a ruler to the dark. Aragorn stared at the figure and reached up to grasp the hand. He felt it pulling him upwards and his soul left his dead body and floated up to rest next to the Valar and the prince that he loved so much.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN 'EM NEVER WILL. 


	2. A Love Renewed

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters or personalities.  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Some of the words in this are adapted from Michelle Branch's 'Goodbye to you.' That's why they may sound tacky.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A LOVE RENEWED-Sequel to 'Betrayal'  
  
As Aragorn's thoughts melted into his soul, he became aware that he was floating in a mist, it curled around his body and felt lifeless, like nothing was controlling it, it just seemed to float on as far as he could see. He concluded that he was in the world of the dead and it scared him, Legolas was here too and it was all because of his inability to make decisions. A silent tear rolled down his face as he remembered the look on Legolas' face when he told him that he did not love him. Those looks of pain, panic and fear. The late king pondered over what the fatal look of fear on Legolas' face could have meant. Maybe he knew what was to become of them both. Snapping sharply out of his thoughts as a touch on his shoulder caused him to turn round, seeing the very object of this incident frowning down upon him.  
  
"Legolas." He whispered, a wave of joy surging through his ghostly form. He reached up to pull the elf nearer to him but Legolas resisted.  
  
"What is wrong?" Aragorn questioned the prince, knowing instantly what the response would be from the glazed look on the others' face.  
  
"Even in death you torment me. You have caused Arwen great pain and yet you swore that you would love her 'till you died. When you died Aragorn, you did not love her." The man winced as he recalled those words he had spoken to his love so many years ago.  
  
"I truly loved her then. Does it matter? Am I here with you now, is that not what you wanted?" Aragorn thought that Legolas was trying to work out whom he loved. The elven prince shook his head repeatedly.  
  
"No. It is not what I wanted. I wanted for you to be happy. When I killed myself, I did it knowing that you and Arwen could have many happy years together without worrying how I fared. I did not want you to come here and haunt me. I wanted solitude Aragorn, loneliness, as a ranger you must know how I feel."  
  
"I am not a ranger anymore Legolas. Neither was I when I died. I was a king, and now I am a spirit, I did this to be near you." Legolas snarled at him.  
  
"I don't want you near me. Just leave me alone, in death at least should I find some rest and peace." The cold words struck far into Aragorn's breaking heart. He had given up his life to comfort the one he loved and now he was not wanted.  
  
"I cannot go back to the world of the living Legolas, I must stay here with you." He pleaded with the prince, trying to find some reassurance.  
  
"No Aragorn, you must stay here and live forever in pain, as it is obvious you thought I would have done. When you killed yourself, you hurt Arwen more than you have ever hurt me. When you died, she knew that she would be left alone because somebody else's heart had been more important to you. Now both the ones that you loved hate you." Legolas spat the last words and he seemed to vanish, Aragorn knew how to find him for he had once been to this world, Elrond had brought him back before it was too late. 'Now I will never be able to go back' he thought roughly to himself. 'You cannot be raised twice, maybe, yet there is hope for Legolas.' He closed his eyes and focused on Legolas, on his mind, his body and his soul. He could feel his shadow breaking apart and he opened his eyes to see the face of a very angry elf.  
  
"Please leave me alone. Do not think that because you love me I can ever love you again. You had your chance and it showed whom you loved the most. You only killed yourself to make out that you were valiant and would risk your life for one that you took. You did not take my life so rest in peace… Somewhere else." The pain that Aragorn felt, he was sure was greater than any that he had inflicted upon either of the elves. He tried to grasp his lover's arm but his hand went straight through it, like it was just air.  
  
"Legolas please. You know why I did this. I loved you and I still do. I had to do that to satisfy your kingdom. They would not have reacted well and Arwen and I were married. Please do not pass me away as you did so many other lovers." His words seemed to have had an effect on Legolas.  
  
"How do you know about the others?"  
  
"I know because I saw so many Mirkwood elves pass to the Grey Havens to spend the rest of their days after you had broken their hearts. Every one of them warned me never to fall in love with you but I did. I loved you more than anyone else did. I loved Arwen because she was fair and kind but I love you because of everything that you are. Do you know how that feels? To be choked everytime I saw you? I would never have left you of my own free will. And I know it hurts but I want what we had again. I would give anything just to feel like I did, I want you Legolas."  
  
A smile crept upon Legolas' solemn face.  
  
"I know. I want it as well." His face turned cold again.  
  
"I want you. But I will not be the one to take back your love, I'm not giving in." I silence passed between them, but just then, he gasped and bent down in pain.  
  
"Legolas?" Aragorn asked, worried. A white light shone from within the beautiful elf. A battering realization hit Aragorn like that when you realize that someone is gone forever. Elrond was taking Legolas back. He cried out in fear and clung to his lover as best he could for Legolas now had a solid form.  
  
"Don't let them take me, please!" The elf looked up at him with piercing eyes. He opened his mouth to speak again, although it was a painful effort, he couldn't lose Aragorn again.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said, I do love you." Aragorn placed a finger to his lips.  
  
"I will see you again, I know it."  
  
"But Aragorn, I will be immortal again, I will never die."  
  
The smile faded from Aragorn's face.  
  
"What? No Legolas, I won't let them take you. My love, please, no…" He trailed off as the weeping figure that he held de-materialised before him. Legolas was now gone.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Forever…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: If you want it to continue, 'cause it will, please just say. I think I might just add them as chapters rather than sequels. Therefore this is now officially Chapter two. And don't worry, in the next one, Aragorn will not come back alive again and Legolas will not kill himself again so it won't be exceedingly predictable.  
  



End file.
